1
as in explaining
to give the reason for or cause of
after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
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2
as in glossing (over)
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature
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Recent Examples of explaining away
Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining away
Verb
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The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 2012, Classic Media was bought by DreamWorks Animation, which in turn was acquired by Universal Pictures parent NBCUniversal in 2016, explaining why the potential Disney+ series is a co-production between DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
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Military technology has become more sophisticated, but the minds justifying its use are stuck in the past.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining%20away. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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